Revolving hay-bake



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

E. B. WELLS AND M. D. WELLS, or IIoEGANTowN, VIRGINIA.

BEVOLVING- HAY-BAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,329, dated September 20, 1839.

T0 all '1o/mm 1' z5 may concern Be it known that we, EIITIEAIM B. VELLS and MOSES D. IVELLS, of Morgantown, Monongalia county, and State of Virginia` have invented an 'Improvement in Hay-Rakes, commonly called the Revolving Hay- Rake g and we do declare that the following is as full and exact a description of our im.- provement as we are capable of specifying.

le will give the description of the whole rake, particularly identifying those parts for which we claim the right of invention.

lst, the axle C, a piece of square timber from 8 to 10 feet long four inches square, through the center of which Inake from ten to twelve mortises varying in number in pro portion to the length of the rake, the mortises to be made at an equal distance from each other, and the second niortise from each end of the axle to be made two and a half by one and a half inches so that these two teeth passing through these mortises may be made larger than the other teeth for the purpose of attaching the slides `to them (which shall hereafter be describech) all the other mortises to be made one and a half inches square in the axle and filled with teeth. The teeth 2 to be made five feet long, to fit the mortises in the axleV land be so placed as to be of the same length on each side of the axle, say two and a half feet from the center of the axle to the point of the teeth, all the teeth are to be sloped at the point so as to point upward when in use. The slides-two pieces of timber marked D, D, to be made thirty two inches long; two by two and a half inches thick, these slides to be made stationary by mortises in them (the slides) and tenons on the ends of two pins or braces one and a fourth inches thick marked I, I, these pins passing at right angles through the axle. These two pins I I pass through the second teeth from each end of the axle, demonstrating the propriety of these two mortises and teeth being made larger than the others. The forward ends of the slides are made fast to the ends of those two large teeth, (through which these pins or braces I I pass) by means of a shoulder cut about two inches from the end of each tooth (on the under side) so as to admit the forward end of the slide after being shaped to fit, so as to butt up against the shoulder in the tooth and be secured there by nails (or otherwise.) And in order to give the rake a proper incline, the hind ends of the vslides D D should not be more than ten or twelve inches lfrom the center of the axle C which can be easily accomplished by cutting the pins or braces I I to a proper length on each side of the axle through which they pass. i

l The lever, by means of which the rake 1s managed and controlled, is a piece of timber marked F-say three feet ten inches long three by three and a half inches thick, a little tapered from its center back to the handle attached to it Inarked K. On this lever is placed a catch board marked H, which is placed forward of the handle K, at a proper distance so as to press between the Iniddle teeth near the ends of the teeth when the lever is attached to the axle. This catch board is attached to the lever by means of a square hole being cut through the catch board of sufficient size to let the lever pass through it. The catch board II is about fourteen inches long one and a fourth inches thick, ten inches in length of which catch board is made of suiiicient width to fill the'space between the two middle teeth of the rake, and the lower end of the board is about one inch wider and forming a catch on each side of the board of about half an inch, and is tapered from the catches to the lower end which causes the middle teeth to spring, receive the catch board and hold it fast.

The center of the axle C between the two middle teeth is reduced from square to round at which place the lever F is attached to the axle C, by cutting a semi-circle in. the forward end of the lever F so as to fit the round part of the axle, then by means of an iron band being bent around the axle and the ends of said band fastened to the forward end of the lever by screws or rivets leaving sufficient room for the axle to revolve. The handle K before mentioned is a small piece of wood about sixteen inches long passing through a mortise made one by three inches so constructed as to place the handle horizontally and giving in the mortise sufficient room for the handle K to move backward and forward it is fastened by a pin passing through the center of the handle and lever.

About fourteen inches from the forward end of the lever a similar mortise to that made for the handle is made through the lever in which is placed the cross bar Gr which is connected with the handle K by means of an iron rod J passing through a hole made for the purpose in the right side of the catch board H about two inches from the center of the lever and fastened on the upper side of the handle K and cross bar Gr by means of screws or otherwise, so that the moving of the handle will in like manner work the cross bar so as to be alternately above and below the'center teeth as the performance in raking may require and permit and even facilitate the revolution of the rake.

rIhe shafts marked A A are two pieces of timber about eleven feet long, two by three inches at the ends attached to the aXle and tapering to one by three inches at the ends to which the horse is attached the shafts are framed together (about three and a half feet from the ends attached) by means of the cross board B let into the shafts and also the shafts into the cross board and permanently fastened together by means of screws or otherwise and on the top of this cross board B the swingletree (by which the horse draws) is to be placed and fastened.

At an equal distance from the center of the axle lengthwise those shafts A A are to be fastened to the axle C first rounding the aXle at the proper place then cutting semicircles on the lower side of the shafts at a proper distance from the ends so as to fit the round on the upper side of the axle then fit blocks on the lower side of the shafts with similar semicircles cut in the upper side of the blocks to meet the shafts around the axle and fasten the shafts and blocks permanently together by means of screw bolts passing through each both before and behind the axle. The forward ends of the shafts are connected together by a round rungmarked L about three feet long and connect-ing one shaft with the other just before the horse. In the center of this ring is placed a steeple and ring for the reception of the breast chain.

The rake thus constructed and formed stands ready for use bearing on its slides which gives the rake its own proper incline and the shafts lying on the ground just step the horse between the shafts as they are on the ground raise the shafts and hitch the horse. The machine is then ready for use. To regulate the motion and revolution of the rake take hold of the handle and proceed. As soon as a sufficient quantity of hay is collected draw back the right hand end of the handle K, which is connected with the cross-bar G, by means of the iron rod J, which motion will place the cross bar in a position that by lowering the end of the lever the lever and cross-bar passes between the teeth immediately draw back the left hand end of the handle which by means of the rod places the cross-bar at right angles, immediately under the teeth then with one or both hands, raise the lever7 by means of the handle which facilitates the revolution of the rake and in the revolution of the rake, its collection of hay is discharged and at the termination of the revolution you drop the lever by means of the handle in this motion the catch board springs the teeth and gains its former position vthe catch is under the teeth and the cross bar on the top of the same teeth all the work of an instant and the rake still going on. Y Y

Having as we humbly hope satisfactorily described the construction and operation Vof the revolving hay rake we respecfully beg leave to present our claim for improvement.

What we kclaim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The manner in which we regulate the revolution of the rake by means of the handle K in combination with the catch plate H the cross-bar G and rod J as herein described.

E. B. WELLS. M. D. WELLS. Witnesses:

O. KELLY7 W. ALEXANDER. 

